Effects of Atriplex hortensis Hydroalcoholic Extract on Phenyl-hydrazine Induced Hemolytic Anemia in Rat

Hemolytic anemia is a hematological disorder occurs owing to the excessive hemolysis of red blood cells. Atriplex hortensis L. leaves are traditionally used for prevention and treatment of anemia. The present study was performed to assess the effects of A. hortensis extract on phenyl-hydrazine induced hemolytic anemia in rat. Thirty-six, six months old, male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of 6 rats each. One group received normal saline and other 5 groups received 40 mg/kg phenyl-hydrazine (PHZ) intraperitoneally at baseline and on day 33 for induction of hemolytic anemia. Four PHZ treated groups received daily oral doses of 50, 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/day A. hortensis extract for 31 days and one PHZ treated group kept as control received saline accordingly. Blood superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and blood hematological parameters such as hematocrit (HCT), red blood cell (RBC), reticulocyte (Ret) and hemoglobin (HGB) were determined in all groups after 34 days of the study. The blood RBC, HGB and HCT parameters were significantly lowers and Ret increased significantly in PHZ control group compared with the normal saline treated group. In A. hortensis extract (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/day) treated groups the blood HCT, RBC and HGB parameters were significantly increased and Ret decrease, compared with PHZ control group, the blood SOD enzyme activity was significantly improved in all A. hortensis treated groups compared with PHZ control group. A. hortensis extract improved blood SOD activity and blood HCT, RBC, Ret and HGB parameters indicating inhibition of hemolytic anemia induced by phenyl-hydrazine in rat.